Spatial Awareness

High school soccer presents a vast array of problem solving opportunities for coaches.  In the best of programs there will exist multiple teams on a developmental scale - Varsity, JV A, JV B, Freshman and Middle School teams.  I've been there.  At the other end of the spectrum are high school teams with varsity only.  Sometimes these varsity only teams are even co-ed.  I've been there too.

As a new parent-coach back in the mid 1990's I inquired of the local high school coach what he believed most freshmen were lacking when they came out for the high school teams. His reply was"the ability to execute a push pass". As this man would become a mentor to me, I took him at his word. The youth players I worked with could all successfully execute the push pass when they entered 9th grade. When my son was being recruited to play in college I often asked coaches what they believed was the biggest weakness in most recruits games.  The answer was a near unanimous - "spatial awareness". If you have ever worked with a team of wide ranging abilities, you will surely appreciate this response.

My most recent club team and most recent high school team both suffered from a lack of cohesive and uniform understanding of spatial awareness. It's often said a team is only as strong as its weakest player on the field. There is a measure of truth to this especially as it concerns spatial awareness.

I often inform my teams the game is a living breathing thing and they must work on developing a relationship with it through listening and observing how it changes in response to ball and player movement. The boundaries and various lines affect this as well as the distances required on restarts.  Even the referee crew impacts responses to spatial awareness. So too do the technical ability, tactical understanding and physical ability of individual players.

In essence, spatial awareness is about the relationship between Space and Pace. In this context spatial awareness becomes about learning to manipulate the game to your and your teams benefit.  Using spatial awareness in conjunction with the principles of play is what formations and tactics are all about.  When a player is able to consciously recognize how to create space for a teammate and use space created for himself by a teammate, intentionally manipulating the game becomes a real possibility.  

These relationships are simple and yet very complex all at once.  Bringing someone new to the game up to speed with a player who has several years experience can be a daunting task. The difference in understanding of spatial awareness between a seasoned player of club soccer and a recreational player can also be significant. When players of widely varying abilities are all on a single team it can prove difficult to find common ground. This where ideas about a team only being as strong as its weakest player take root.

This is the problem I am seeking to solve going forward. Spatial awareness in soccer is something that begins developing at the youngest of ages.  Simple ideas like boundaries and which half of the field is to be defended and which half has the goal to be scored in are spatial awareness.  When a player comes to the game later in their youth the theory of these simply spatial awareness concepts might be known yet the practicality of them never experienced.  Extend that train of thought to the differences in understanding of spatial awareness between a recreational player and a club player or even an entry level club player and an elite level club player. This s a recipe for frustration all around for both players and coaches alike.

In past seasons I have relied on older more experienced players to mentor younger or inexperienced players in practical settings. I've come to question this approach as results have been found to be wanting.  I have also used a classroom and written homework approach using soccer journals.  The two approaches in combination have been effective.  The issue has been in players being steadfast in their commitment to recording what they are learning in their journals.  I must assume responsibility for this as in the interest of players being able to write down their thoughts honestly about any and all things soccer I have deemed a measure of privacy to be important to the process. I am being forced to make daily writing assignments mandatory and checked by the coaches.

I am also going to include more handouts and more opportunities for visual learning experiences. This will include instructional videos and analysis of videos of practice and games.  A multi pronged approach to the situation.  This is not an ideal scenario, of course. It is however a necessary one.  I would rather spend time on the field than in the classroom but must also face the reality of the situation and adapt what I do accordingly to be as effective as possible in coaching my teams.  

Pop in soccer? Yes, POP in soccer!

POP is an acronym for Principles of Passing.

It is also an acronym for Pace of Play which happens to be our most popular camp theme.

The two are directly related to one another.  I have used POP for Pace of Play for quite some time, but only recently have begun using it for Principles of Passing. This came about as I evaluated our Pace of Play template for camps.

One of the things I like to do is watch young teams train and play the game. This often stimulates my thinking and planning for camp season.  I was recently watching a U12 team practice passing.  It was the typical or standard fare of drill work.  The results were about what one would expect and that's when my mind really started churning. 

I wondered to myself how many of the players could name the Principles of Passing.  I even wondered were I to ask the coaches, if they could name the Principles of Passing.  The glimmer of an idea came to mind that when teaching how to pass the ball we often demonstrate technique, but seldom explain or teach the principles behind the execution of the technique.

Before I go any further, I want to give a shout out to Blast the Ball.  I am not associated with the website / videos or company in any way. Simply an admirer in their approach to breaking down technique into the minutest of details.  The video came to mind while think through the process outlined here.

What are the Principles of Passing?

In attempting to keep this simple so as to be easily taught / learned and practically applied I have identified five Principles of Passing for your consideration.  I am sure I have not discovered these or re-invented the wheel as they say.  I am just putting them down "on paper" that we might use them when teaching players how to pass.

1) Have a plan:  I demand our players know their next play before their first touch on the ball.  This allows them to prepare to play the ball properly.

2) Angles:  Soccer is all about geometry.  Selecting the proper angle and positioning yourself to play that angle are key considerations to successfully passing the ball.

3) Timing:  Not too soon. Not too early.  Whether the pass is to feet or to space the timing of the pass is crucial to its success and maintaining the attacking rhythm.

4) Accuracy:  If you cannot pass successfully, you cannot play.  Again, whether passing to feet or passing to space (or to goal) passing accurately is a must. 

5) Proper weighting of the pass:  Not too soft, but not too hard.  Firm and with pace. 

In our Pace of Play camps we work to achieve successful one-touch play when ever appropriate and possible.  All five Principles of Passing must be combined in one movement or action in order for one touch play to be successful.  When this does occur, the ball can really zip about the pitch with astonishing speed. 

I believe players learning to pass the ball would benefit greatly if their technical instruction was expanded to include being taught the Principles of Passing.  What do you think?

Opposing Principles of Play

Attacking Principles of Play                                                 Defending Principles of Play

1) Penetration to score                                                             1) Delay the Attack

2) Depth to stretch the defense vertically                                 2) Support behind 1st Defender

3) Width to stretch the defense laterally                                   3) Compactness

4) Movement of Players & Ball                                                 4) Maintain Balance

5) Creativity & Unpredictability                                                 5) Discipline & Patience

Analyzing an individual soccer player in the context of team play. Depth.

It has occurred to me that depth is the least understood of the 3 elements of the game of soccer. When I think of depth in an attacking sense I consider the on-field positioning of forwards, midfielders and backs not only in the context of formation but also within their own lines. The position and spacing within a teams formation that defines a teams shape, if you will.

I think it perhaps best to begin with a concept of depth familiar to most - supporting players behind the ball carrier. The picture that comes to mind is that of the ball carrier have options for play both in the forward passing lanes and also in the passing lanes towards his own goal. This brings to light a very basic but often overlooked principle of play which states the man on the ball should play the way he faces.

Analyzing an individual soccer player in the context of team play.

I love to problem solve. I am sure this is why my two favorite sports are basketball and soccer. Both offer abundant problem solving opportunities on individual and group levels. Statistics kept in both sports seek to quantify individual and team performances. Sabremetrics has taken statistics to a whole new level. However, almost all statistics are ball related and that's where I feel analyzation of player performance through statistics leaves something to be desired.

Consider there are 22 players sharing 1 ball during a soccer match. It stands to reason the vast majority of time a player spends on the pitch is without the ball. What I have set about doing is to define the relationship between on-the-ball statistics and off -the-ball actions and  how this impacts the game. I believe the place to start this process is to define principles of play in the game. In order to do this I believe it essential to consider the three elements of play - penetration, depth and width.

Penetration without the ball can happen in a number of ways.

1) A target player in front of the opponents back line.
2) Off-the-ball runs at or through the opponents back line.
3) A player in an offside position

There also needs to be a means of gauging the effectiveness of each action. Did the action have a positive, negative or no discernible impact on possession of the ball?   For the lack of better terminology I consider this in the context of Attacking Unity.  In this regard the action must also be viewed in terms of uniqueness and duplicity. That is, was the action singular and performed as Intelligent Support or as an act of unaware individualism duplicating the actions of a teammate? Was there a positive impact on the teams spacing?

Penetration with the ball happens in two basic ways.

1) Running with the ball
2) Passing the ball

Maintaining possession of the ball is obviously the king consideration when penetrating with the ball However, there are variable acceptable levels of risk associated with these actions. What is accepted, even expected, in the attacking third of the field might be far different than what is considered prudent in the middle or defending thirds of the field.

There is quality of decision making to be considered as well. Was running with the ball the correct decision or should the player have chosen to pass to the feet of a target player or into space to a teammate making a run?

So much to consider and we have yet to even begin looking at width and depth in relation to attacking play.  Or the defensive side of play, at all.  Tomorrow I will take a look at the element of depth and associated principles of play. Remember, we are just beginning a process here. I'm not quite sure where it will end, but have in mind to analyze my son's play through video review. For comparison's sake I will likely analyze some of his teammates play as well. My intent is not so much to create a new realm of soccer statistics as it is to discover the quality my powers of observation.